Hi there, friends! It’s been a little bit since I’ve given you an update on life so I thought I’d start the week with a little girl talk! Catch up sesh’s are always a good time so what better way to start the week, especially after a long holiday weekend, amiright? So, grab yourself some coffee and let’s chat!

It’s true what they say sometimes … things don’t always work out the way you think they will but they always work out the way they are supposed to. Lately, I’ve found this to be true. While I’m so excited about the way my story is unfolding, I’m finding that when you’re in pursuit of what you feel is meant for you, there will be a price to be paid, things that won’t work out the way you thought, things that happen before you’re ready, etc. Basically, you can never have your cake and eat it, too.

Here’s what has been going on:

Justine gave me her notice last Monday.

For those of you who may be new to following me … Justine is my assistant and has worked with me, been my right-hand gal, for the last three years. If I made a list of all of the things I’m the most proud of achieving in my professional life over the last three years, all of them would likely have not been possible without Justine. She is the Type A counterpart I have needed so desperately over the last three years and she has seen my London journey unfold in a way no one else probably has. She was actually one of the only people that could see my desire to be there so badly during my 2017 ‘numbing’ phase. I remember her distinctly saying to me one time:

‘It’s so obvious how much you come alive when you’re there and while you may not be ready to pursue it, I’m going to do whatever I can to help you get there when you are.’ 

* cue all the tears *

Now, I realize how weird it may seem [from the outside looking in] that she’d be choosing now to leave but, I get why she is. Her reasoning is completely understandable to me and I respect it. I am keeping all of that between her and I, but I share that because it’s reminded me that you can never really know how things are going to play out. I’ve spent the last week wondering why God chose now for Justine & I to part. The process of getting me over there hasn’t even started. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around doing this all without Justine. She’s my level-headed, pragmatic, logistical mastermind. Was she a crutch I was leaning too much on? Was I starting to forget how much I am able to do on my own? Was it just time to start scaling back? 

These questions, I’m sure, won’t be answered for some time. But, I am choosing to move forward with no ill-will and trusting that this was the right next step for everybody.

Stacy will be taking over Justine’s position.

This is the next big update! I have another assistant, Stacy, who has worked with Justine and I for the last year. She is caring, hilarious, and always willing to take anything on! There’s a lot to learn but, what I can’t stop thinking about is God’s provision. While I’m sad to lose Justine, of course … I can’t help but be thankful for the gift he gave me when hiring Stacy last year. He saw this coming all along and knew I’d need someone who has already somewhat familiarized themselves with this industry, what I do, how certain things work, etc.

Change is such a funny thing. It can be so scary at first. There were definitely tears shed over Justine’s resignation but after letting all of it out, coming up with a plan, and realizing there are still lots of great things on the horizon … it makes it all a little less scary. Life goes on and everything will be okay, but perspective and choosing to have a good one is so important!

Pregnancy is haunting me.

I shared on IG stories the other day that ever since meeting John, I have friends who have, independently of one another, told me that they have had dreams about me being pregnant. While I have always been excited for the day that I am pregnant, that’s something that I think would freak any girl out after having been on three dates with someone, ha! John & I have a ways to go before we talk babies and we’re certainly not pregnant so I kind of just let these silly dreams roll off my back and out of my memory, until this past week …

Last Monday or Tuesday, I woke up so suddenly after realizing I was dreaming about being pregnant with twins. Now it was ME dreaming about ME being pregnant!!

What. The. Heck!

I need to underline that I am NOT pregnant nor am I freaked out at the thought of being pregnant. Entering into that chapter of life is one I have been anxiously anticipating since I was a teenager … however, I can wait a little while longer as I believe few other things need to be taken care of first. 😉

I just find it to be so interesting that these dreams keep happening and that they started after I started dating John. However, I reached the peak of my curiosity over the weekend when one of you reached out to me via DM sharing that you met up with John & I in London and I was pregnant with a little girl and I was going to name her Tess.

Until I read that, I didn’t necessarily think God was involved in any of this. Not because I don’t believe in God. If you have followed me for a long time, you know I love me some Jesus. With that said, I don’t really believe in coincidences but, I think I subconsciously chocked up all of these dreams to be just that. But, when I got that message this weekend, God really got my attention and I started wondering what it means because it HAS to mean something. “I know I’m not pregnant so what is it? What do they mean?”

When I threw this story out to you guys over the weekend on IG stories … y’all were ALL OVER IT. I had no idea so many of you were professional dream analysts, ha! To summarize, dreaming of being pregnant or someone dreaming that you are pregnant symbolizes something in your ‘waking life that is in development’ that ‘will eventually lead to a new life’ [source].

I’ve never thought about God speaking to us through our dreams but, honestly, if He does, I am so encouraged.

When I think back on the dating experiences I had in the past, I always had a gut feeling that it wasn’t right. With John, I have the complete opposite.  I have a gut feeling that’s more along the line’s of … ‘this is it’, so-to-speak. So, to have dreams that signify that this is going to be a positive development in my life is really exciting, and also really sweet and endearing.

Let’s not forget, though … my dream was about being pregnant with twins so I assume that means I’m birthing two things: a new relationship and I assume the other life change [that is developing that could lead to a new life] is my journey to London. I have yet to start on the paperwork that needs to be put together for my visa application so maybe God is trying to encourage me to get to work on it. [I’m not trying to slack but between travel and work commitments, I’ve been a little distracted.]

If I’m honest … I often wonder how my business is going to do abroad. I wonder if it’ll change in some way. I wonder if God has been drawing me to London because there’s something different he wants me to work on or new people he wants me to reach. I’m not sure but, I can only think that these dreams are God’s way of trying to get me to that answer. Obviously, the first step is getting to London through this visa. So, I’m hoping that the next time I share a life update post with you guys … it’s to share I have a new life change on the horizon, a new adventure to embark on!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope life is going well for all of you! Any changes you want to share? Let me know how you’re dealing with those! We can all vent together! 🙂 Remember .. the only thing we can control in life is how we react to all of life’s changes. So, choose your reactions wisely. Be brave and be patient. Exercise grace. Throw kindness around like confetti. Chase your dreams. Stop living on the surface. Go deeper. Travel. And .. have fun! Love y’all! Make it a great day!

A few details about today’s outfit photos are mentioned in the box next to the links to shop! xo.